


Where Heartbreak Cannot Reach

by nicolebaka



Category: The Vampire Diaries (TV)
Genre: AU, Delena fluff, F/M, Paris - Freeform, Post Season 3, deals with sire bond, season 4
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-27
Updated: 2017-04-30
Packaged: 2018-10-24 14:13:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,603
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10743333
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nicolebaka/pseuds/nicolebaka
Summary: Elena is sick of everyone telling her what she should feel or do. She's had enough of them seeing her as something that needs to be fixed. Fortunately, Damon has a plan, as always. Can a trip to Europe make big changes? Season 4. Delena.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I originally posted it on ff.net and decided to show this fic to you here too.   
> So it's a season 4 Delena story, with the ever hateful sire-bond. I know, I know...It's like beating a dead horse, but maybe you like it after all (at least I hope) :). I little fluffy, a little angsty...

Elena slammed the door of the Salvatore boarding house irritably, glad that she finally got rid of the outside world. She was simply fed up with her so-called best friends, who couldn't repeat enough how she and Stefan fit together, and how big of a mistake it would be to waste her time on Damon. Elena was so sick of them that she simply fled from the school, hoping that she would find Damon at home. Though he acted more distant towards her since the sire bond had been discovered, they couldn't quite let go of each other.

"Damon?" She called hopefully after she stepped into the house and felt someone's presence.

"Not quite," she heard a voice and, to her disappointment, Stefan appeared at the bottom of the stairs.

"Is Damon here?" she asked tiredly and sighed. Over the past few days, she'd avoided him like the plague, and she really didn't want to chat with the younger Salvatore after the multitude of moral lessons that day.

"No, he isn't. It's only the two of us," he replied.

"Wonderful. I'll go and find him then," Elena suggested, and she had already turned on her heels to leave the house, but Stefan was faster: he blocked her way and grabbed one of her hands, thus preventing her from slipping out the door.

"Don't go. I'd like to talk to you."

"But I don't, so let me go. I don't have time to listen as you also try and talk me out of even acknowledging Damon's presence."

"Look, Elena, we do all this for your own sake," Stefan replied. "This sire bond is not healthy. It changes you without you even noticing it."

"Are you suggesting that I'm not the same person as I was when I was human?" Elena asked.

"Not quite. I just want to say that now you may believe that you love him, because that what would make him happy. But as long as the sire bond exists, you can't be yourself!"

"Jesus, Stefan, do you really think that if I take the cure I would immediately run back into your arms?"

"Elena, you can't deny that we are meant to be together," Stefan said simply, and Elena felt as anger rose in her chest.

"That's the problem, Stefan! You're incapable of loving me this way, you can't cope with the fact that I'm no longer a fragile human being. If you truly loved me, you would accept me the way I am."

"Because Damon does, right?" Stefan mocked.

"Yes, he does!" Elena snapped. "He loves me in a way you were never capable of."

"I agree." rang a very familiar voice behind the two vampire's shoulders.

Damon stepped into the room with a smirk on his face as usual. Relief ran through Elena's body as she caught sight of him. She quickly snatched her hand free from Stefan's grasp and ran to Damon to hug him. She didn't want anything other than feeling the warmth of his embrace, to inhale his familiar and enveloping scent, and to touch every muscle of his marvelous body. The elder Salvatore gently locked her in his arms while looking daggers at his little brother, who was staring at them petrified with anger and pain in his eyes.

"Do you see something you like?" Damon asked sardonically while stroking Elena's hair, who snuggled to him like a scared child to its mother.

"Far from it," Stefan grumbled, turning his head away from the two lovebirds. Though he was trying to convince himself that he and Elena will eventually find their way back to each other, his eyes saw a completely different thing: the beloved girl as she was looking into his brother's eyes affectionately while Damon was holding her tightly. If anything, it was too much for him.

"I'm going hunting," he snapped coldly, delaying his plans of winning Elena back for an indefinite period of time because Damon's annoying presence prevented him from carrying them out. But it's better late than never, he thought, and walked out of the house.

Once Stefan was gone, Damon exhaled a sigh of relief and let go of Elena, who did not like the sudden separation and quickly pulled him back to her and buried her face in his shirt.

"Don't start it too," she began before Damon could say anything.

"Elena, you know as well that it can very easily be the sire bond's doing…"

"Oh my God, I'm so sick of everybody talking about the sire bond all the time," she snapped. "Nobody cares about what I actually feel!"

"Of course I do," Damon protested. "You know that. We just need to find a way to discover what this means for us, and if we can break it at all."

"And how exactly do you want to do that when everybody has a big speech about how what we have is not real?"

"Well, fortunately for you, I always have great plans," A grin made its way to Damon's lips as he pulled out two rectangle shaped papers from his back pocket.

"What's that?" Elena asked in puzzlement.

"Plane tickets. We're going on a little trip."

"Really? Where?"

"Paris," he replied. "Tomorrow is International Women's Day or something like that, so I thought you'd be happy to step away from the gray weekdays for a little while."

"I'm more than happy," Elena agreed and draw Damon in for a kiss.

It was a normal kiss at first because Damon's newest habit was to hold himself back and try not to reciprocate her approaches. But Elena's soft and sweet lips captured his senses soon enough, so he finally gave in and let the burning passion in him take control, even though he felt he wasn't doing the right thing. For a few short moments, he allowed himself to believe that it was all real, because when he kissed her, he felt he never wanted to stop.

"We leave in the morning, and come back next week," he said after their lips parted. "Maybe that time will be enough to…figure some things out," Elena nodded silently and hugged him again, feeling a burning desire for his closeness.

She knew it wouldn't be an easy task to convince Damon how real her feelings were for him.

-/-

Not just the short car drive, but also their time on the plane went in silence. Damon, seeing Elena's excitement, tried to be less distant with her, not wanting to deprive her of the little happiness this trip had caused her. Not even this bond could change the fact that her happiness was more important to him than anything in the world, and therefore if even for a little time, he thought it better to let her be close to him, despite the fact that it went against his principles and the rules he'd established for himself. Yes, he should've stayed away from her, and yes, he should've freed her from the sire bond and his presence in her life, but he just couldn't do it even though he vowed never to be selfish with her. He couldn't let her go. It was his weakness.

They hadn't traveled for long when Elena, tired of the sight of the clouds, turned her head back towards Damon with a smile on her lips and started searching his face. Damon avoided the eye contact, so he closed his eyes and leaned back in his seat, wondering what to do with that damned sire bond. Suddenly, Elena lifted her hand and stroked his upper arm before taking his hand and clasping their fingers together. At this, Damon immediately opened his eyes, which contained such an amount of pain and disbelief that would've been enough for the whole world. He knew he shouldn't give in to his emotions because it would break his heart even more, but there was still a tiny part inside of him that believed that Elena really loved him. And when he looked into those radiant and lively eyes, he couldn't refuse her anything. So he finally gave in with a sigh and squeezed her hand back. Elena beamed at him as she looked into his blue orbs.

"Don't push me away, please," she began softly, seeing as how Damon still didn't loosen up completely. "I know where your mind is at. I know you not only think that this isn't right but that it's not real either. But believe me, I wouldn't be here with you if I didn't feel that I love you with all of my heart."

Damon didn't reply, with a painful expression on his face, he just stared at the small air conditioner above his head that blew nice cool air on them. He didn't want to go into this, it hurt too much. But apparently Elena had other ideas.

"Please, Damon. I'm not asking you to believe me this time. I'm not asking you to accept this situation. I only ask of you to give me this time with you. I have no idea what will happen to me, to us, in the future, or what choices you will make at the end, so I'm asking you to let me spend this time with you. As much as is given to us, not more. I promise I will respect your decision, whatever it will be when this trip is over. One week…I only ask for this," she begged, struggling against the tears with all her power.

Damon felt like someone had drained his soul. Her words didn't just touch the depths of his heart, but broke down all the walls he had built up around himself. He turned to her and as soon as he caught sight of her beautiful face he knew that he would do anything she would ask of him. Carefully he took her face in his hands, leaned closer to her, and placed his lips on hers. Elena, despite her surprise, answered the gesture in an instant, gently, but still passionately kissing him back. When they parted after a minute that felt like an eternity, she scooted closer to him and rested her head on his shoulder. Damon decided that from now on, he wouldn't deny anything from her until they were on this little vacation, and put his arms protectively around her. Finally, they both felt that happiness was not an unattainable thing or a fiction, but an emotion that was within reach – even for them.

-/-

The hotel, where Damon booked the room, or rather a suite, was not only beautiful but also lay in a perfect location – just a few minutes' walk from the Eiffel Tower. After she was done admiring the view, Elena immediately wanted to discover the city, unlike Damon.

"You don't want to go sightseeing now, do you?" Damon asked, casually lying on the bed, having not even attempted to unpack his stuff from his bag.

"Why not?"

"Well, because we flew nine hours straight, after which I prefer something relaxing."

"You're a vampire, you can't get tired," Elena pointed out.

"What's the rush? You have a whole week to explore the city."

"Just a short walk," she pleaded, but Damon seemed adamant, so Elena shrugged and simply walked out the door. This, of course, made Damon jump from the bed and he was beside her in an instant, an act which Elena only acknowledged with an eye roll.

It was late at night and dark, but the street lamps gave enough light to perfectly illuminate the streets. The air was cool and the wind blew as well, but the two vampires seemed unfazed by it. They walked in silence next to each other, glancing side to side, trying to absorb every twitch of the charismatic city. Soon they arrived at the illuminated Eiffel Tower that loomed majestically over Paris. The sight was breathtaking.

"It's stunning," Elena breathed, watching in amazement the sleek and unique structure.

Damon was staring too, but his eyes weren't on the tower. The sight, which Elena provided, was much more mesmerizing to him. Her eyes shone happily and radiantly, her lips were slightly parted as she admired the building. The lights that danced on her face made her even more beautiful, and the wind gently played with her hair which only added to the overall effect. But no matter how great a desire her proximity and beauty awakened within him, he couldn't fight the despair that overcame him. He had to accept that Elena would never be his because it didn't matter that she claimed her feelings were genuine now, Damon very much feared that once the sire bond was broken, his worst nightmare would come to life: he was always afraid that she would rush back into Stefan's arms, and their time spent together would be nothing more than a mistake which she would remember with deep contempt. While Damon was tortured by these kinds of thoughts, Elena noticed that he was watching her. When their eyes met, Damon noticed the same fiery desire in hers as he suspected he had in his own. They both wanted each other, that wasn't a question, and as they slowly got even closer to each other, Damon made no attempt to listen to the inner voice that warned he shouldn't mess things up even more. But it all vanished when their lips met.

Every time they kissed, the world ceased to exist around them. To both of them, it was different than anything before: more passionate, deeper, emotional – it was more in any aspect. Because it wasn't just physical attraction or passionate desire between them, but an incomprehensible, unbreakable spiritual connection that prevented them from letting go of each other. Deep down they were the same, they both knew it; they fed the never-ending source of love with the same desires, hopes, and feelings. Ultimately, there was only one thing they both wanted: each other. That was what made this source inexhaustible for an eternal life, and no sire bond, virtue nor morality would ever change that.

They shared a long and passionate kiss, all the while memorizing each and every moment; the cool breeze, the merrily dancing yellow lights, the fresh and intoxicating scent of the blooming flowers around them. But above all of them, they tried to carve each other's exhilarating presence in their minds, along with the thought and possibility that they had a future together.

At last, Damon was the one who broke the kiss panting and looked at Elena lovingly, who had similar lights dancing in her eyes. They shouldn't have done that, they knew it well enough because it wasn't in the plans, but still, the forbidden fruit was always sweeter than the easily available ones.

"It's getting really late," Damon sighed. "It's time to go back."

Elena nodded silently, knowing that there would be no point to argue with him now. She knew exactly that Damon wanted to take things slowly in their relationship, considering every step little by little while trying to find a way to break the sire bond.

They exchanged as little words on their way back as at the beginning of their walk, and they reached the hotel wrapped up in silence. Once they completed their evening routines, they both went to bed. Only a double bed was at their disposal, so they slept together, leaving a minimal distance between their bodies.

"Good night, Damon," Elena said quietly, then sat up and placed a gentle kiss on his cheek.

"Good night, Elena,"

-/-

The next day they were having a traditional French breakfast, with coffee and croissant.

"So, are you ready for the Eiffel Tower today?" asked Damon, intently watching Elena as she delightfully nibbled on her food.

"Of course!" she answered immediately. "I so want to go up to the top. By the way, what do we do after that? There's so much to see here and it's so hard to choose…"

"Well, we can go see the Notre Dame in the afternoon, then we can take a walk down the Champs Elysées. In fact, the Arc de Triomphe is just a short way off from there, so we can include it in the program too. Tomorrow we can go to the Louvre, and we will figure out the rest later."

"Sounds good," a smile spread over Elena's face.

Once they were done eating, they headed for the Eiffel Tower. As always, long lines had formed before the ticket booths, everyone wanted to get to the top of the tower.

"Stay here, I'll get us tickets in no time," Damon offered, and was about to take off in the direction of a cash register, but Elena held him back by the arm.

"No, Damon. It's not necessary to compel anyone. I'd like to wait in line like any normal person, okay?"

Damon eyed her with a frown on his face but eventually surrendered. "You're a strange vampire, Elena Gilbert."

"Like you're any different," she laughed.

Waiting for more than an hour in the line, they finally reached a cash register. Damon bought the tickets, but after he paid, the cashier held him back. "Unfortunately, you can't go up to the top today. The elevator is broken, it only goes up to the middle floors."

Elena sighed in frustration as they got into the elevator. "It's a pity that we can't go up to the top. That's the best part."

"Who says we can't?" Damon whispered in her ear.

Elena gave him a questioning look, but he only smiled enigmatically, not giving her any answers. As soon as they got out, Damon pulled her aside to one of the pillars after making sure that no one could see them. "You want to go to the top? I'll take you up," he said, grabbing her hand and looking around if anyone was watching them.

Elena hadn't had time to protest, because Damon took off from the ground in an instant, and after another moment, she felt solid ground under her feet again. They were on the highest floor of the Eiffel Tower. "Hey, that's cheating!" she scolded him.

"I think it was worth it," Damon replied, gesturing with his hand to the panorama that unfolded before them.

Elena sighed with delight, admiring the beautiful city lying in front of her. She remembered that one of her dreams was to someday come to Paris. Now she was finally here, with Damon no less, who made her wish come true. "You know, it'd be very romantic if you didn't want to play the good guy at all costs," she remarked, squinting her eyes at the raven haired vampire beside her.

"I think we went over this countless times, Elena. It's best if we won't get involved even more while this sire bond exists."

"Oh, of course, the sire bond. Because if I forget it for even a minute, you need to remind me of it!" she fumed. "Who the hell cares about the damned bond? How many times do I have to tell you that it has nothing to do with what I feel for you? Anyway, surely there's a way to break it and then I could finally prove to you how much my feelings are real!"

"There is a way!" he yelled back. "Here… I'll tell you if you want to hear it. The bond can be broken if I send you away, if I ask you to forget me, to live your life without me, and thus I would disappear from your life forever. Well, that's it. Are you happy now?"

Elena looked at him in shock. "No…No…There must be some other way," she managed weakly, still processing what she had heard.

"Well, it looks like there isn't."

"Then we need to find one because this isn't a way."

"And how do you propose to do that?"

"I don't know…We can try to break it," she suggested. "I need to try and regain my own will when you try to force yours on me,"

"And what do you want to do?" he asked.

"Umm…for example, tell me to do something and I'll try to resist it."

"I doubt it would work," Damon shook his head skeptically.

"At least let's try it," she pressed.

"Okay," Damon agreed. "I want you to take off your shoes."

Elena closed her eyes and tried to resist the overwhelming desire to do as Damon said. But no matter how hard she fought, she found herself slipping off her sneakers.

Damon continued to shake his head. "I told you."

"No, we don't give up. We try again, but with something harder. Ask something that I would never do."

"Let's see…I want you to stand on your head and recite the national anthem," Damon said finally.

"Are you crazy?" she grimaced, but before she could go on, she felt her legs go weak and in the next second, she was kneeling down to start what Damon asked of her. However, when she was already on her head and was about to start reciting the hymn, Damon cut her off.

"Stop," he sighed, watching Elena as she obeyed. "See, there's no point. We only frustrate ourselves unnecessarily."

"You're right," she nodded, but a perfect plan formulated in her mind. "Then there's really no other way. You need to send me away. Do what you need to do."

"Elena, I…I couldn't send you away," Damon's face mirrored pain and anguish as he said these words.

Elena suspected that he wouldn't give in, so she decided that she would make him believe that that was exactly what she wanted. "I want you to do this, Damon," she said. "I hate this sire bond, I hate what it does to us, I hate how you act because of it and yes, I hate that I have no free will. At least, let me have some say in it because this is what I want. I want to get rid of this sire bond at any cost. That's what would make me happy."

Damon couldn't believe his ears because he thought that Elena wanted to leave him forever. It hurt more than he would've thought, however, to deny her the free will would not only be selfish but evil.

And, as he had said many times before, the only important thing to him was her happiness. "Are you sure, Elena?" he asked brokenly, hoping that maybe she didn't mean it.

"Completely. I want this," she nodded seriously.

Damon couldn't help but give in. He slowly stepped closer to her, took her face in his hands and looked deep into her eyes. "Elena," he began, trying with all his might to fight back the tears. "I want you to leave me and start a new, happy life without me. Forget all about me and everything that is connected to me. Don't ever come back to me. Let me go, because that's what I want. There's nothing more that could make me happier," he finished in a choked voice, and after one last glimpse, he let go of Elena and turned away from her. He didn't want to see as she left him forever.

Meanwhile, Elena felt that every inch of her body was trying to get her to go away and leave Damon. But then she sensed a new, all-consuming power within her that was much bigger than any bond: love. She wanted nothing more than to stay with him through all eternity and she even hated the idea to continue her life without even remembering him. The realization and her willpower swept away everything else; there was only her solid determination left, that no matter what would happen, she would never leave Damon. Because he was her reason for living.

And that was the moment when she broke free from the urge. "No," was all she said loudly, and her voice was full of newfound confidence.

At first, Damon didn't believe his ears, and disbelief was written across his face when he turned back and saw that Elena was not only not leaving him, but headed straight towards him. When she stepped right before him, she smiled and repeated: "No," Then wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed Damon, who was still standing frozen. This was their fourth kiss in two days, and like the others, this was different too. Of course, it had passion, love, gentleness, from Damon's part disbelief, but it also contained something else that the others didn't: a magical and intoxicating liberation that was missing all this time. And now, after such a long time, it was finally there.

"You stayed," Damon breathed with widened eyes when he forced himself, with great difficulty, to part their lips in order to look at Elena's face.

"I stayed and I'm not going anywhere," she said happily and infinite joy radiated from her eyes.

"You stayed," he repeated, now with a wide smile playing on his lips. "You broke the sire bond!"

"No. We broke the sire bond," she corrected him. "I did it for you. We did it for each other. I would never leave you, Damon, because I love you too much, sire bond or not. I can't live without you."

"I love you too," he only managed, then let his words fade away, and instead, used his lips for other enjoyable activities.

They kissed each other with such hunger like there would be no tomorrow. Finally, after so much waiting and sufferings, they felt there was nothing in the world beside them. They had no idea how they got back to the hotel; they suddenly found themselves lying on the bed in their room, devouring each other hungrily, the thin sheet barely acting as a cover for their loving bodies. Damon didn't care that they had intended to take things slowly, or that he vowed he wouldn't sleep with Elena until they clarify the unclarified. All that became null and void, because they had woken up from the nightmare that the sire bond had caused, and from where they fled to each other's loving arms: where they found their home for all eternity.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So as I promised, here's the little sequel to this little story. :)  
> x

„Damon, I'm hungry!" Elena giggled, but her request fell on deaf ears as he placed feather light kisses down her stomach. "Do you hear me? If I don't get something to eat, I'm going to faint"

"It's a good thing you can't then," he smiled, and glanced up at her for a moment, before continuing his sweet ministration on her body. "I'm not done with you…Not even close."

"You're insatiable," Elena remarked between sighs and Damon growled in agreement. "I can't believe…" moan "…that even after seven rounds…" moan "You still have the energy for this…"

"Eight," Damon corrected. "Don't tell me you are not enjoying this," he added, while his lips explored the most intimate parts, sending waves of passion and lust through her body.

The next time she spoke was when she screamed his name in ecstasy, as she reached the edge of the abyss with an earthquake like feeling, where there was no going back.

"There, just let it all go," Damon encouraged her, who was very proud of himself that he managed (again) to make her forget even her own name. He couldn't get enough of the sight that her happy and satisfied eyes provided. "So, are you really hungry?" he asked and stood up, wrapping the sheet carefully around his hips.

"Not at all," she now protested, trying to drag Damon back to bed, who, on the other hand, put up a little fight.

"You were very much so not long ago," he grinned, sitting down at the edge of the bed, making sure to leave enough distance between the two of them.

"It passed," she shrugged and pulled him closer.

"Who's the insatiable now? But as much as I want to go back to bed, we're both hungry. However, after we eat, we will continue. Okay?"

"Hmm…Okay" She agreed and got off the bed, quickly slipping into Damon's shirt that lay on the floor.

Meanwhile, Damon was already in the kitchen, filling two mugs with blood and putting them into the microwave. While he was busy preparing their drinks, he felt two arms sneaking around his torso, hugging him. The moment he sensed her presence, that newfound joy he started to feel in the past half day spread through him again. He simply couldn't believe that Elena was his without the pressure of the sire bond. She had made her choice based on love. The feeling that he could have her so close was phenomenal. It was more perfect than what he had first imagined. Damon turned around slowly to look at her, and when his eyes fell on her and saw how she was looking at him with love and devotion, he almost melted on the spot. No one had ever looked at him like that before.

Elena gave him a tired smile then hugged him, resting her head on Damon's bare chest. Everything was so perfect, peaceful and calm. It was like a dream they both never wanted to wake up from.

"Hey you," Damon said as Elena lifted her head up to lock eyes.

"Hey you," she returned, then stood on her tiptoes and placed a kiss on his lips.

They had both never felt this happy before. They finally knew what it was like when everything was good and beautiful when nothing could cause problems, and when there was no one who could stand between them. It was something neither had the desire to give up.

-/-

Much like on every other night, the Champs Élysées, Paris' most beautiful and famous avenue, was lit magnificently this evening too. At the end of the boulevard, in the middle of Charles de Gaulle Square, the illuminated Arc de Triomphe loomed majestically, which was built by Emperor Napoleon at the beginning of the nineteenth century. This entire part of the city perfectly reflected the true atmosphere of the metropolis; lively and monumental, romantic and cozy.

Damon and Elena walked hand in hand on this particular street, again, one last time, immersing in the relentless whirl of this wonderful city. It was their last night, so they decided to come here last before flying back to America the next morning.

After their walk, they agreed to go to a traditional French café, similar to the small, yet cozy multitude of cafes they saw during their one-week journey in Paris.

"I'm sorry we eventually didn't go to Disney Land," Elena remarked a little sadly.

"But we saw a bunch of other things," Damon countered.

"Especially the wall of our room."

"That's not true! We went up to the top of Eiffel Tower, we explored the Louvre, the Musée d'Orsay, and we even went to the Pompidou Center. We've also seen The Army Museum, we went into Sacré Coeur and Notre Dame, we visited the Sainte-Chapelle and Arc de Triomphe. Oh, and we were in Versailles the other day. What else do you need?"

"Hey, you know as well as I do that this has been perfect," she laughed, scooting closer to Damon on the small couch to rest her head on his shoulder. "But promise me you'll take me to Disney Land next time, okay?"

"I promise. But I can't promise I'll go with you."

"Why not?"

"Elena, can you imagine me in an amusement park, taking a picture with Mickey mouse?" he asked. "Because I can't."

"And if I ask you nicely?" she looked at him with doe eyes.

"Okay, maybe," he gave in.

"Now this is more like it," Elena grinned, and as a reward, she gave him a kiss. "You know, I don't want to go home just yet…"

"Then we won't," he shrugged. "We can stay here as long as you want."

"We can't. I have school, and then there's Jeremy, the others, and this whole cure-thing…In other words, we need to go back…"

"I know," Damon answered morosely. "But if everything's over, we come back and explore the whole of Europe. What do you say?"

"I can't wait," a smile spread over Elena's face at his suggestion.

In truth, she'd like nothing more than to run away with Damon, maybe not permanently, but definitely for a longer period of time than they'd enjoyed on this trip. She longed to be far enough away from the problems that awaited her at home. She knew that no matter where she went, though, she wouldn't be alone. She and Damon were in this now…together.

-/-

The flight back was much more exciting than the one here. They both felt free and happy, they couldn't keep their hands off of each other. They still had to get used to these new and overwhelming emotions, and the thought that they were finally together after so many obstacles and ordeal. Nothing could overpower the thrill that filled both of them when they said 'I love you'. Nothing was stronger than that overflowing love they felt every time their lips met. It was like a pink bubble that protected them from the imperfections and dangers of the outside world.

"You know, I'm really happy that we're living under the same roof," Damon remarked. "It would really suck to wake up in the morning and not find you there beside me after all this."

"As good as it sounds, I still miss Jeremy," Elena replied a little sadly, gripping Damon's hand a little harder. "There's so much hype around this cure….And he's a victim in all this."

"He's doing it for you, Elena. We are all trying to give you back what you've lost. You never wanted this life, you've always wanted to have a family, to grow old… With that, you would get back your happiness,"

"I don't need humanity at the price of my brother's," she protested. "And on top of that, everybody is plotting, especially behind my back, and wanting to control my life. But of course, no one would ask what I want, because that obviously doesn't matter, right?"

The term 'surprised' wouldn't be enough to describe Damon's expression at that moment. "Elena, everyone believes that you want the cure."

"What makes you think that? I can now drink from a blood bag, I can control my bloodlust, and I'm not sired to you anymore. Just because Stefan thinks I'm a problem that needs to be fixed it, doesn't mean I can't continue my life like this."

"I…" Damon stuttered. "I only agreed to help find the cure because I thought that this was what you wanted, that this was what would make you happy."

"And who said that to you? Wait, let me guess…Stefan? Well, newsflash then, Damon, I don't need that freaking cure. I love you and I'm happy with you. Furthermore, we can be together for all eternity. Do you need anything more?"

"I don't. The question is, would you really give up the chance to be human again, to start a family and have everything you've ever dreamed of?"

"I'd sacrifice it all if it meant I could be with you," she replied without hesitation. "I want to be with you and it wouldn't work if I was human. At least not for an extended period of time."

"My God," He sighed. "What did I do to deserve you?" Damon questioned rhetorically, pulled Elena closer to him and kissed her. "Whatever you choose, I'll support you. But if you choose me, I'm not gonna protest at all. It doesn't matter to me if you're human or vampire, I'll love you all the same."

"Good. Because I choose you," she informed him, giving him a quick kiss on his lips. "And I'll happily give up the cure."

"Then it's settled. Anyway, if you want to know the truth, I never really wanted it for you… As long as you were sired to me, I was always afraid that you would eventually run back to Stefan as soon as you turn back."

"Well, that certainly will not happen," she grinned. "But let's not talk about him, and enjoy the fact that we can still be alone together. So, where were we…?"

-/-

"I think I found my new wallpaper for my phone" She enthused, shoving the camera in Damon's face.

They were sitting in Damon's Camaro, dangerously close to Mystic Falls. Even though he was driving, Damon took a good look at the picture Elena was showing him.

"It came out good," He said at last.

On the picture were Elena and him, as they stood embracing each other with the Eiffel Tower and the setting sun in the background. It was a perfect photo.

"I think it's awesome. I only need to transfer it to my phone," she muttered. "Really, it's time I turn it on. There must be some missed calls," she added with a laugh.

As soon as she turned it on, a notification immediately alerted her to all of the missed calls.

"I expected more than that."

"Why, how many?" He asked.

"Sixty-three. Forty from Caroline. Whatever, I'll talk to her personally," As if on cue, they arrived at the Salvatore boarding house.

After Damon took out the bags from the trunk, they walked inside and unsurprisingly found Stefan and Caroline in the living room.

"What the hell were you thinking?" Caroline asked indignantly as soon as she caught sight of the duo. Her eyes were blazing as she jumped up, and Stefan followed her, looking at his brother unapprovingly. As she saw that the two vampires were standing with their hands clasped together in front of her, she became even more furious. "You disappear for a whole week and you can't even call me?" Caroline shrieked, turning to Elena. "Your brother, Bonnie, Stefan and me were worried about you. Did you know that?"

"It was unnecessary," Elena replied coolly with imperturbable calmness in her voice. "I was safe," she added, sending a grateful glance towards Damon, who winked at her.

Caroline, of course, immediately noticed the brief moment between them. "Oh, so you feel safe with someone that practically makes you a servant?"

"You, my brother, promised to free her from the bond, and that wouldn't force her anymore to make you happy," Stefan joined in with a good amount of anger in his voice, turning towards Damon.

"He didn't force me to do anything!" Elena retorted almost immediately.

"Oh, really? The Elena I knew would have never given in to Damon. Let alone go for a whole week with him to God knows where!" Stefan snorted. "All this…" he gestured at Damon and Elena's still clasped together hands. "Is the sire bond's doing. You do what Damon expects you to without noticing it! Your life's mission is to make him happy and your free will have ceased to exists once and for all. Damon knows quite well what he should do, instead, he continues to enjoy what he always wanted, i.e. taking away what was mine!"

"I. Was. Never. Yours," Elena replied, sensing the anger rise up in her. "I was always Elena Gilbert, I am my own boss. I am no one's subordinate, especially not yours."

"If that was the case, you were holding Stefan's hand, not Damon's," Caroline said.

"You're right," agreed Stefan. "As long as this bond exists, you can't be yourself!"

"For fuck's sake! The sire bond is long gone!" Elena exclaimed.

"Oh yeah? Then why are you still with him?" Caroline challenged.

"We broke the sire bond," informed them Damon dryly. "We got rid of it for good."

"That's impossible," the younger Salvatore shook his head. "You know as well as I do that it can only be broken in one way and is to tell Elena to forget you and start a new life without you. This is anything but a new life for her."

"I'm sorry to disappoint you, little bro, but Elena found another solution," replied Damon, squeezing Elena's hand.

"And what would that be?"

"She got back her own free will. I tried to force her to do something that she didn't want and she fought against it until she could resist it"

"Yeah, of course…And you expect us to believe it?" Stefan laughed brusquely.

"I got Damon to free me, to send me away from him and to make me start a life which doesn't include him. But I resisted it, and even though he tried to free me, I was unwilling to leave him," Elena explained. "And do you know why? Because I love him, with all my heart, and nothing can change that."

Stefan and Caroline stared at Elena dumbfounded, who became furious at the end of her monologue. Her cheeks were red from anger, and her eyes shone with tears, yet she didn't let go of Damon's hand.

"Is this really how it happened?" Caroline asked skeptically.

"You still dare to ask me if I tell the truth?" Elena snapped, yelling at her supposed best friend loudly. "You dare call yourself my friend, you, who judges me and does everything to discourage me from being happy? You, as my best friend, should have understood me and stood by me instead of comforting Stefan. Think about it! When have I ever turned against you for even a moment, even if I didn't agree with your decision? I supported you when you got together with Tyler, although we both knew that that relationship was a threat to your life because in any given second he could've killed you! Yet I didn't say a bad word about you, instead, I was happy for you and let you cry on my shoulder! After all that you could've at least tried to understand me!" She paused for a moment to take a deep breath and turned towards Stefan. "And you! You still have the guts to conspire against your own brother and try everything to deprive him of happiness! You were the one who broke up with me, but as soon as you saw me with someone else, you wanted me again, isn't that right? You have no idea what you left behind when you disappeared with Klaus. You crushed me utterly, and do you know who was the one that stood by me all this time, who helped me in everything, supported me and held me in one piece? No, it wasn't Caroline or Bonnie. It was DAMON! He was the only one I could always count on, who never referred to his own problems, but put me in the first place and helped me at all costs! What's more, he was the one who saved me after you almost killed me when you had no emotions! And he never, I repeat never, asked me to love him or to choose him. It was my own decision! The two of you do nothing in your lives but try and destroy ours lately. I swear I've never seen two people more pathetic than you are!"

Damon gave her an appreciative whistle as her speech ended, but Caroline and Stefan were far from being similarly comfortable. Besides the surprise and wonder that Elena's sudden outburst caused, joined a great amount of shame.

"Elena, we…" Caroline started, but Elena interrupted her.

"I don't care, Caroline. We can talk when you're capable of respecting my boyfriend" Hearing her last word, both Stefan and Caroline grimaced but didn't say a single word. "Oh, and you'd better mind your own business because if I see it correctly, there's something very wrong with you if all you can think about is how you can cure me of my happiness. And now please, leave me alone. I'd like to enjoy my time with Damon," she said, then dragged Damon behind her, as they disappeared up the stairs.

"Wow, Elena. I have to say I'm impressed," said Damon approvingly as they reached their room. "I'm very proud of you, baby!" He added and very suddenly, he picked her up in his arms and flung her on their bed, following shortly himself. Elena chuckled softly and snuggled closer to him, resting her head on his shoulder.

"They deserved it," she shrugged. "I was so sick of them that I needed to let it all out."

"You were right to do that," he laughed, placing a kiss on her forehead. "You were so sexy when you yelled at them… I could hardly resist ripping off all of your clothes on the spot."

"Then, in that case, we could've taught them a thing or two in the sex department…It certainly wouldn't have harmed them."

"Jesus, how is it possible that I've got you in my life?" Damon sighed, embracing her with both of his arms. "You have no idea how much I love you."

"I love you too," She smiled, kissing him softly. "Seeing as how we're already on the bed, maybe you can teach me a thing or two?"

"With pleasure," Damon replied with a huge grin on his face and rolled on top of Elena. The passionate, heated kisses soon turned more intense, and they let their bodies unite into the most sensual, and oldest dance of the history of mankind. They hadn't moved from the bed anymore that day, but they didn't even want to because nothing was better than discovering each other and that newfound bond over and over again that was called love. Because finally, their time had come.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this was it. I hope you liked it! :)
> 
> Until next time,
> 
> Niki x


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